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Norman squandered a six-shot lead to Faldo and is one of three men to have lost the Masters entering the final round with a lead of four shots or more – Ed Sneed led by five shots in 1979 and Ken Venturi by four in 1956.

“I know how leads can dwindle away very quickly,” McIlroy said after his third-round two-under 70 gave him a four-shot cushion entering Sunday’s final round.

But based on the first three days, the final round of the Masters might turn out to be less of a competition than a coronation for the 21-year-old McIlroy.

Expected to be one of the game’s next stars, McIlroy has shown he’s tired of waiting his turn since he opened with a 65 on Thursday.

Barring a reversal of fortunes, McIlroy will be the ninth player in 75 Masters to either hold or share the lead for every round.

McIlroy’s main competition for the green jacket might come from the final pairing, which has produced 19 of the past 20 Masters champions.

If the long-hitting Cabrera, 41, can keep McIlroy in range, the par-5 13th and 15th holes could produce plenty of Sunday drama.

But Cabrera is just three-under on the two holes this week, while McIlroy is four-under.

Three players are tied with Cabrera, including South Korea’s K.J. Choi, Australia’s Jason Day and South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel, who is looking to win on the 50th anniversary of countrymen Gary Players’ 1961 win.

Player was the first non-American to win the Masters, and would win again in 1974 and 1978.

Since 1980, international players have won 15 times. Sunday should make it 16, considering Bo Van Pelt, at six-under and in eight place, is the low American through 54 holes.

It’s the first time in Masters history an Americans isn’t in the top five through 54 holes.

Besides Cabrera, Choi seems to have the best chance to to chase down McIlroy. Choi, 40, was tied for the lead last year through 12 holes, but stumbled to a tie for fourth place.

Someone could emerge from farther back in the pack, perhaps ballstriker extraordinaire Luke Donald, who is seven-under, or American Bubba Watson, who shot 67 Saturday and can manhandle the par-5s with his length off the tee.

Tiger Woods’ third-round putting pretty much took him out of contention. Woods, a four-time winner, missed a five-foot par putt to shoot a 74, end his streak of 16 rounds at par or better at Augusta National, and put him seven shots off the lead.

Woods also missed a two-foot par putt on No. 11, lipped out three times, including twice for par, and hung a birdie putt on the lip at No. 5.

During a second-round 66, Woods made nine birdies. On Saturday, he made two.

Meanwhile, McIlroy continuned to play as he has all week and enters the final day second in the field in greens in regulation (43 of 54) and first in driving distance (303.3 yards).

It should add up to a green jacket and a possibly a changing of the guard in golf.

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